Former NBA player Grant Hill believes that Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been criticized more than any player in NBA history, including former NBA player Michael Jordan.
According to Hill, “no player has ever endured, in my opinion… as much vitriol, abuse and slander that LeBron James has endured.”
Hill made this claim as a guest on former NBA player JJ Redick’s podcast “The Old Man and The Three.
In the interview, Hill compares James to Jordan by stating that “LeBron [is] incredible. What he has done, [dealing with] the pressure from a very young age, how he's lived up to the expectations, and what he's had to endure that I don't think Michael Jordan had to endure.”
Hill was referring to the creation of social media platforms, like Twitter, and the role it plays in how people interact with athletes. Obviously, social media is not something Jordan had to deal with during his playing career.
James has been one of the most polarizing athletes in American sports since he was 17 years old.
James consistently ranks among the leaders in jersey and shoe sales. He has had several movie and television roles. He has even helped in the creation of an elementary school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Yet, despite his immense popularity, he is constantly criticized by fans, media, and even fellow players.
Most of the criticism surrounding James came about after James’ decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers after spending seven seasons with them.
James then signed with the Miami Heat to form the Big Three, which consisted of former NBA players Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
In his first stint with the Cavaliers, James did not have much team success. The Cavaliers with James at the helm only reached the NBA Finals once, in 2007, but got swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
The criticisms only grew once James won his first two championships in Miami and two more afterward. One in his return to Cleveland in 2016 and another in 2020 with the Lakers.
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